Seemless or Flawless?

Today's brief foray into the crazy ever expanding world of metal is an unusual one. It is very rare these days to find metal bands with positive lyrics and even rarer (for me) for them to actually attain *the groove*.


For me one of my favourite things about music is the groove. In jazz it's called swing, in other genres it can be called the feel but in metal and funk its the groove. The groove is what allowed black sabbath to sound so bloody evil and dark without using amazingly fast guitars and screamed vocals. they were a blues band to begin with though, so they should know their music!

So imagine my shock when I finally heard a band that wasn't pantera, down or black sabbath that had that groove but didn't sacrifice speed or lyrical content for it! The best way to describe this band is soul/groove metal- smooth metal!

Killswitch engage did a lot for metal, especially in their early days, they may be a little stilted at the moment but there's no denying they did a J K Rowling- they got kids into metal, which is what counts! No killswitch is not the band I'm talking about it's their old lead singer's old side project.

When Jesse Leach left Killswitch it was indeed a shame but this vocalist had, for me, something special about him, his positivity and energy spoke to me, and being a drummer it is hard for me to fixate on vocals!

This band is Seemless. Most of the members were at the time from metalcore bands when they first played together. Leach from Killswitch, Kerswill from Shadows Fall and Overcast/Killswitch guitarist Cortese. Most of these guys are no longer with those bands, just thought I'd say. Anyway one would think the general way things would turn out is that we'd have another metalcore band on our hands. Screamed verses and sung chorus right? I was very wrong!

Seemless managed to set the scene with their first album, Seemless. While for me it was amazing it did get a little repetitive, although it was mainly because I listened to it way too much. Little screaming was present on this album, but the screaming that did emerge was heightened as a result of this. Thick homemade guitar sounds and tight, emotion filled playing that wasn't afraid to drop the bullshit and just make a damn good song.

Leach's vocals soar and dive like a hawk, gently and vicious. War and Peace being a perfect example of this. The drums and guitar and bass on this album are unstoppable, but sometimes the mood gets a little worn. The band have bundles of talent but it almost burst and it almost seems as if they find it harder to control on this album. The contrast between Endless, All is Not Lost and the rest of the album keeps you listening however.

Even on this first foray this album is beautiful, few bands can write heartfelt lyrics without sounding a bit wet.

`The flame in your eyes will make pale the radiant sun

Our truth will be revealed when our dreams become the breath of life` (Endless)

Need I say more?

But the band really comes into its own on their second and sadly last album- What Have We Become. The band have put some time into rehearsing and have perfected their sound to create a more mature and heartfelt album, when compared to their last. Instead of turning to vinegar they have transformed into a nice merlot!

Songs that are worth an instant mention here are Parody and Seven. Parody opens with a groovy drum part worthy of John Bonham, it is this drum line that actually steals the show on this song. The old school groovey bends on the guitar keep the songs unusual pace but the drums push it forward still. Then the verse kicks in. Leach's vocals fly, Cortese's guitar lifts the song giving it effervescence, and Fultz's bass and Kerswill's drums just thunder through keeping the steady pace.

The choruses then just groove on until your neck gets sore. The well placed scream ups the ante, creating tension . A soft and delicate guitar solo bends the rhythm and distorts the pace which only works if the Bass and drums can actually keep the beat, oh and they do!

Seven is just pure groove, awesome drum breaks are the soup of the day, but it's chicken noodle with sweet chilli and not bloody tomato soup that Seemless vend. This song sums up, to me, why Seemless are individual, it sounds like a jam that is so tight you feel lucky just to hear it. I'm listening to it now and it's just what I want to hear from metal. I'm a bit stuffy sometimes, I like stuff I can understand. Je suis comprende!

I mentioned the lyrics being expertly crafted, poems in their own right, to many bands this would become overwhelming. Many bands have a dynamic pull between the melody and the rhythm sections. If this balance is tipped to much the other musicians can get side lined. I love My Dying Bride but the rhythm section is flooded by the melody and has to take a back seat. They are a great band all the same however. It is very rare, though, that I can come across a band that keeps the balance well. Seemless have managed to just that, each mammber adds their essence to the mix equally resulting in a sound that hints of the days of Led and Purple.

Basically strong song writing combined with an infective groove and gently grown songs have, in my view, created one of the most under rated bands ever. I can't really analyse each song, I advise listening to both albums and making a judgement, if you don't like it, that's cool but I think your missing a lot with these guys. Here's a brief hit list of songs, just 2, but a brief introduction for those of you who would rather try on youtube before you buy. These guys are a diamond in the rough and I think that they have been overlooked but please, make up your own mind, If anyone has any suggestions for bands that are similar please let me know, I'd love to hear them!










Sorry about the quality but it is live footage which I think gives you a better picture of what they are like live.

Thanks for reading,

Shai-Hu-Lud enjoys his Mountain Dew in the sun

The Eyes of a Traitor- *Interview*

Contained within today's senescent article are the words of Eyes of a Traitor guitarist- Matthew Pugh. Huzzahs all around!

Eyes of a Traitor are a Deathcore band from good Ol' Hertfordshire UK. They have released 3 records as of writing (one studio album, one EP and one single) and are set to release their new 2nd album, Breathless, soon. Well without further ado here it is.



Jyujinkai- Have you always wanted to become a musician? Or is it just something that happened?

Matthew- No, not at all. I didn't start playing guitar until I was 16 and all through school I found the music lessons to be the most boring thing ever. A few of my friends were really into their instruments though and they had a show at school called "golden oldies" one year, which involved them playing Guns 'N Roses and Black Sabbath covers. They practised their arses off for it and I went along and saw the show, and it totally changed my perspective on the whole thing. Just seeing them up on the stage having a good time made me instantly want to go home and start saving for a guitar and then I pretty much got addicted to the thing!

Jyujinkai- So what is your current guitar amp set up? Why do you use them?

Matthew- In terms of guitars, I use two Ibanez RG1527 Prestiges which I love to bits. I swapped to playing 7 string guitars a while ago and have no intention of going back! We tuned down to drop B and for me, I found the stings to be a little too floppy and the range quite limited. So the 7 string gives me much better string tension and I tune in a way that gives me an extra top string (B F# B E G# C# F#), so I have huge range of notes. For some reason the bigger neck feels more natural to me than a 6 string ever did.

In terms of amps, I use an ENGL Powerball. It was 3rd hand by the time I got hold of it, and everyone owner including me has toured it... and until recently it had never had a flight-case either, just bumping around in the back of the van, and the thing still sounds incredible. It allows me to get a really clear high gain sound without sounding crackly or fizzy and it has a really tight bottom end on it, which is perfect for the low grooves we use.We toured with After The Burial last year, me and their guitarist, Justin, used a combination of my head and his pedals and managed got the best tone I had heard from it... so I recently managed to get the money together and sling a couple of other gates and a tube-screamer in there too and have my set-up sounding pretty good now.

Jyujinkai- Just an aside, do you think there are many false stereotypes about metal fans?

Matthew- Yeah, definitely! A lot of people who aren't into metal don't really understand the music or the culture that surrounds it at all and a lot of them have very negative views on the whole thing, despite not really having a clue what it's about! The main things that I hear people say is that the music we listen to is just noise and is talentless, which is obviously not the case, but then I guess it's all down to opinion at the end of the day, as I sure don't understand a lot of the music they listen to either haha!

Jyujinkai- Yeah I know what you mean! So what are your favourite genres of music?

Matthew- I appreciate quite a few different genres but my favourite is metal and its various sub-genres haha. I'm a huge fan of instrumental guitar music and would definitely recommend people check out Jeff Loomis' solo album "Zero order phase" and Animals as Leaders self-titled album if you are a fan of instrumental music in the metal category! Outside of metal I'm quite into blues/rock playing, a new favourite of mine being Joe Bonamassa... I think he is great, check out this Led Zep cover of his.

Jyujinkai- So within that, who would you say is your favourite guitarist and why? Are there any songs that showcase his/her style and technique in particular?

Matthew- I'd say that my favourite guitarist is Vinnie Moore, when not on tour I work for an agency and my boss took me to see UFO, which is the first time I had seen or heard Vinnie's playing and his technique and phrasing blew me away. His latest solo album; "To the Core" is one of those albums that I can listen to over and over again without getting bored, so I'd recommend the whole thing, but if I had to pick one track it would be "Soul Caravan" here is a link to it.

Jyujinkai- A man with varied taste! So moving back to your band, how do you write your songs? Is there a process that you use?

Matthew- The process has varied a fair bit over the last couple of years, at first I used to rely on Guitar Pro (tabbing software) for my writing. I would usually start with a riff and put it into that and then flesh it out a bit with chords and drums and then go from there, and send it to the other guys in the band for them to tinker with. I have gone off that idea a lot though recently as you really don't get much of a feel for the music from that, it is midi based so the whole thing sounds like an end of level boss battle on the old gameboys, haha. I recently got Cubase and a Pod X3, so now I record my ideas and send them to the others instead as this gives a much clearer representation of what I am going for. We still use Guitar Pro to document our music though, for practising to later.

Jyujinkai- So after writing *nerdy question alert* when you record, are you a fan of the click track?

Matthew- 100%, I view it as being an essential tool for any musician and practice at home to a click track too. When I was first starting out I wanted to play fast and then later realised that I was sloppy as hell and being able to play slower but tightly was much more important... and of course you can then build your speed gradually from there. It's not only important from a personal stand-point; it helps you to keep in time with other people better too, which is an essential part of being in a band.

Jyujinkai- What would you say is the hardest part about playing your style of metal music as a musician?

Matthew- You just have to keep on top of your game really, there are some pretty fast runs and fast rhythm patterns so you can't really afford to not practice for a while and get sloppy otherwise it would just sound terrible live haha! We like throwing in a lot of dead stops in songs in our live set too so you have to be mindful of your muting.

Jyujinkai- Which one of your songs would you consider you’re favourite? Is there a particular part of a song that you play that you like especially?

Matthew -My favourite Traitor song is "Talk of the town" from our new album; we just uploaded it to the MySpace actually. It's just a very heavy track with a lot of groove which makes it great fun to play live... I had a bit of an ordeal with tracking the solo section for that song in studio as I get mega bad anxiety when it comes to recording... I get the shakes and my mind goes blank so I had to kick the other guys out for a bit while I tracked it. We have a part in an older song called "escape these walls" which I really enjoy playing too, it’s the riff right before and under the solo of that song... again, it's heavy and has a lot of groove which I guess something that really appeals to me with song parts haha!

Jyujinkai- You seem to like using a lot of legato type techniques in your breakdowns. I find this refreshing, is it something you have done deliberately or is it a part of your natural style?

Matthew- I joined the band a couple of years ago but we had a pretty similar style of playing anyway so I fitted in well. Legato is something that me and our other guitarist, Steve, picked up on pretty soon. I never used to be that great at alternate picking so I found the technique essential in helping me get a cross the fretboard fluidly without having to pick everything… so I guess it is just a natural thing to us.

Jyujinkai- How have you found touring?

Matthew- Touring is my favourite thing to do in the world, I love it! My approach to touring has changed a fair bit since I started, definitely in terms of preparation! My first tour, was one February so it was freezing cold and the first date was up in Leeds... and I forgot my sleeping bag, and we were staying on the floor of someones basement essentially, and I froze my arse off... so I learnt that lesson very quickly and make sure it is top of my list these days! As time goes on you learn more about what to take, what spare parts you need to fix your equipment based on what problems commonly arise after a few weeks on the road. The last tour we had, my equipment died on me several times right at sound-check, and being the opening band we had little time to fix it, so I had to learn very quickly how to take apart my rig and do rapid problem solving and fixing... You learn all the time.

Overall though, touring is great, you get to see and do a lot of things you'd never get to otherwise and I quite often find myself sitting there thinking "the only reason I am here to see this is because I picked up a guitar one day", I'm very lucky and hope that it continues! You learn a lot about co-operation too... a month or so in van with the same people, all being tired... sometimes you can get tired and irritable and have petty arguments for the sake of it, which just brings everyone down. So you learn what presses people's buttons and how not to tread of people's toes haha.

Jyujinkai- How have other bands generally treated you?

Matthew- Other bands we have toured with? We have been very fortunate in that we have played with some great bands and learnt a lot from them. We toured with Gojira in February 2009 and they had a massive impact on us as a band, both in terms of mentality and professionalism as musicians. For starters the band and their crew are the nicest group of people ever, very humble and even helped us carry all our gear up 5 flights of stairs to a venue one night. On top of that, they were slick with loading in and out each night and on stage they are clinically tight as standard and that really inspired me to practice my arse off haha! We recently toured with The Chariot too who's focus is more on the energy at the show and we really learnt to let loose and really get into the vibe of a live show from them. For those of you unfamiliar with their shows, give this a watch

Jyujinkai- Any news of things to come?

Matthew- Well the new album comes out on July 12th, and although it is still 'us' there is a big change in feel... the songs are generally heavier and a lot more groove orientated in places. We have worked a lot more on song structure in terms of verse and chorus sections too, and believe it to be our best material to date. In terms of other things to come, we have recently shot a music video for the new song "Come To My Senses" which should be up soon, I believe they are just working on the final edits (at the time of writing). Other than that, we have interviews coming in for the new album and will be back on the road touring it from around September onwards!

Jyujinkai- Well thank you very much Matthew for your time, I hope the new album does well for you guys. Keep on rocking! I'm sure we haven't heard the last from him!

Cheers for reading.

Shai-Hu-Lud Wriggles through the desert.

A product of the system

Well it seems as if I have been lazy recently. I do apologise, exams have been very strenuous and time consuming, but I have not forgotten about all things music. So apologies for my absence.

Anyway back to the task at hand- finishing System of a Down's classic album- er System of a Down!

So after having blasted through the first half of the album, let us continue on with the second half.

So here we are thrust into war?'s paranoid guitar introduction. In typical SOAD style it's as paranoid as it is quirky. Heavy use of palm muting here emphasises rhythm over melody. The very quiet end of the introduction allows for an explosive dive into the main song. Some sweet synchronisation of the drums and guitar make this song very typical of the `nu-metal` genre. The verse it characterised by simple call and answer sequences by guitar and drums. This song makes heavy use of palm muting to allow the transition from verse to chorus and such. The chorus is very full and meaty whilst still managing to jerk around the room spasmodically. This song really gives the lead singer, Tankian, a chance to show of his talent and range of voicing, from almost death growls to softly whispered preaching. For me the highlight of this track is at 1:18. This very stylist break in the madness builds and builds into a climax of confusion and almost fear. This is broken by the harsh return of the main phrase of the song. This song's lyrics are worth mentioning, politically motivated, such lines as;

`Who victored over, the Seljuks/When the Holy Land was taken/We will fight the heathens`


Are particularly relevant, to one of the band's central political issue (not their only one mind you) of the Armenian Genocide. If you are interested in learning more about this event then click the link, but I am not going through it here as I'm interested in the music not the politics of System of a Down, rant over.

Anyway, after all this guitar and vocal heavy thrashing the next song mind comes as a bit of a shock. The song is written around a repetitive bassline which conjures images of business men scuttling around London in the rain. The drummer, Dolmayan, shows his versatility by conjuring a samba/bossa nova beat which fits tightly to the bass line provided by Odajian. The guitar breaks the introduction hinting at the coming passage. A lovely bass rich riff proceeds into a bizarre string bending section which makes use of some fabulous dissonant notes. This is ended with Tankian's quiet musing

`Free thinkers are dangerous`

which then causes a serious explosion of energy which leads to a more structured loop which masterfully controls the slowing down of the song and the reversion to the main passage. This loops again, but does not (and this is hard to do) sound like the band is playing the same bit again. This then slows down to a bizarre break which is quickly broken again with sharp guitar playing which then recedes into a quiet let down passage, allowing everyone to calm down for the next track.

A short electronic carnival introduction (you'll know what I mean when you hear it) and we're into Peephole. Hints of lyrics that are to come are faintly hidden in this introduction section. When I say this is one of the strangest songs that SOAD have done, I really mean it. Nu/alt/thrash/prog metal band system incorporates an Ompah band!? I can't really describe this song without over using the words `madness` and `bizarre`. The guitar rules the main sections of this song which aren't being dominated by the Ompah. Something which always catches my ear is Legato style triplets in guitar riffs. Legato is the stringing together of notes making them sound fluid and very natural. This is often accomplished by `hammer-ons` and `pull-offs` on the guitar. Barked vocals as well as flowing (legato our new word) vocals help pick out this song. This song contains an interesting guitar solo which is full of sonic textures, harsh and soft it's all there yet it is still simplistic. Unlike some guitar solos this one is devoid of wank. This song ends on a more conventional held note.

Enter CUBErt. If this album is a family gathering, this unfortunate fellow is the heroine addicted uncle. A very drum heavy introduction leads into a staccato verse. This is quickly trampled by the drum fill which evolves into a strange backbeat giving the chorus a very strong primal bounce. Again the drums signal transitions in this song, providing a good musical distraction for the listener not to notice the otherwise sudden change in flow. This song has many interesting rhythmic feels. By rhythmic feel, I refer to how the song feels, where the strong and weak beats are placed. The traditional feel of a 4/4 time signature (which is used in the majority of rock/metal songs) has a feeling of strong(1) weak(2) medium(3) weak(4). This is often emphasised by the drums via the bass drum playing the strong and medium strength beats. When one changes this feel the song takes on a more distinctive rhythm. This song is full of these changes in feel. This also allows us to know instinctively where we are in a song, for example the end of this song is built to crescendo by making almost all the beats in a bar strongly accented. Musical lecture over.

A simple powerchord riff instigates the, in my view, the weakest song on the album. It is not a bad song just much of the song is unremarkable when compared to the rest of the album. The song comes across as a 2:42 stream of consciousness type poem. Although of note is the interesting clock type break passages which bring an odd silence to the song and allow, again, Tankian to present his variety of vocal styles. The end of this song is very tightly controlled and the band play very smoothly. But for me this song is still weak.

P.L.U.C.K (Politically Lying, Unholy, Cowardly Killers) is the last song on this album. Effectively I can some this song up in a couple of words, Angry and Sorrow. This song is again about the Armenian Genocide. The anger is beautifully tangible in the voicing of each syllable and guitar chord. The song is a forced death march in feel this is only broken by violent flashbacks that make up the choruses. The choruses have a brilliant drum part which creates a very middle eastern feel. This is all punctuated by quiet swaying sections which are similar to those in B.Y.O.B (from the later SOAD album Mesmerize). This song dies softly, leaving the listener in silence, wandering what they have just heard.

This albums beautiful and pleading madness is a testament to the work that the band put into it. The surrealist vocals on some of the tracks are juxtaposed by the realistic and haunting political suggestions of others. All in all this album is a prime example of two important musical aspects, how not to over complicate an album and how to create tension and flow through changing the feel and the very essence of a bar. This is an album to get one's head around.

Thanks for reading, really sorry about the delay

Shai-Hu-Lud is awake once more